LINCOLN, Neb. — One thing is sure for a Jim Harbaugh-coached team: if the opposition is good at something, the Wolverines are going to test their ability to remain good at it.
What do we mean by that? Well, last year, Penn State had the top rushing defense in the conference at the time that they played Michigan football. The thought was that the maize and blue were going to have to throw the ball to beat the Nittany Lions. 418 rushing yards later, that narrative was officially scrapped.
Saturday posed a similar challenge for the Michigan football team. Nebraska had the No. 1 rushing defense and offense in the conference. So the prevailing thought would be that the maize and blue would throw rather than run. However, the Wolverines not only accumulated 248 yards on the ground, it all but stopped the Huskers’ rushing attack until the game was completely out of hand.
So, is this a strategy that Jim Harbaugh employs? Attack the opposing teams’ strength?
“I don’t know about that or what. But Sherrone felt good,” Harbaugh said. “He hit some go-to plays that were working. Blake was really running the ball good. Donovan was really running the ball good, going downhill and really hitting those gaps.
“And then the third down production allows you to get into the ball control and get into the long drives. I don’t know what we were on third down but it had to be up there around 60% or so. Nine for 15 or 16 — something in that area. And J.J. was making big-time throws — those were those were tight window 20-yard crossing routes, deep in-cuts, putting it right on the money great to see Darrius Clemons make a couple of those, Tyler Morris. So many guys, those aren’t easy throws. Those are not wide-open guys. Just throwing that seed right in there, you know allows you to pick up the first down, move on to the next set of downs, and continue into your playbook and and call those plays that are on the play sheet.”
While it may not be part of the plan to eviscerate what another team is supposedly good at, the players certainly relish the challenge
Left guard Trevor Keegan says that a mix of preparation with the foreknowledge that what the other team wants to do comes into direct opposition to what Michigan does helps propel the Wolverines to be on the offensive.
“Yeah, I mean, when we see the No. 1 rushing defense and they have a good rush attack themselves, it just, what it means is you take it a lot more seriously,” Keegan said. “A little extra oomph. And they did have a No. 1 rushing defense. I mean, everybody they’ve played passed against them, so we kind of knew that. But, they play a multitude of fronts, multiple pressures that we haven’t really seen. It’s kind of rare, it’s a varied defense. But I believe we prepared, it took care of itself.”
We’ll see next week if the Wolverines continue their ascent, with another road trip against Minnesota forthcoming.